WELL-ADAPTED: Olive-backed Sunbirds have curved beaks that can poke holes at the base of flowers.
DAPPER MALE: The male is highly territorial and will chase off other males from good feeding grounds. — Photos by Vincent Wong
THE Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris juglaris), sometimes called the Yellow-bellied Sunbird, perched on the edge of a perpetually blooming potted flower and drank in the nectar.
A pitched cheep-cheep announced its arrival. In a flash, another bird of the same species landed on a hibiscus flower and then onto the red and yellow bird of paradise.
This tiny nectar-loving bird delicately dipped its long curve beak into the nectar.
Known in Malay as Kelicap Pantai, this bird has, like the Asian Glossy Starling, moved into man-made landscapes to become the most common and conspicuous sunbird in the region.
It is common in gardens, scrublands, plantations as well as its original habitat mangrove forests from Southern China to the Philippines and Australia.
The Olive-backed Sunbird feeds primarily on nectar from a range of flowering plants including mangroves and garden flowers.
Hibiscus is a favourite, as are the sweet smelling Kemuning or Orange Jasmine and palm flowers. With its curved beak, it can poke a hole at the base of the flower, thereby avoiding payment of pollination.
This bird is able to feed on flowers that have short nectar tubes. Even though it feeds predominantly on nectar, it also eats the occasional insect.
Sunbirds are members of the Nectarindae family, which contains 119 species worldwide and 10 in Borneo. Spiderhunters are also members of this family.
The dapper male with its olive back, bright yellow belly and metallic blue-black upper breast and throat is highly territorial and will chase off other males from good feeding grounds.
It is much more visible than the duller, more easily camouflaged, female which lacks any hint of bluish black colouring. Instead the female has a white throat.
Monogamous pairs build capped hanging nests in low bushes from a range of plant fibres, mosses and spider webs. Soft fluffy materials such as lalang seeds are used to line the nest and the exterior can be decorated with other materials including dead leaves and lichens.
The Olive-backed Sunbird is so adaptable that it will nest on buildings, utilising our created environments.
Mating occurs between August and April. A courtship display was reported in a blog for the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research where a male vibrated yellow tuft feathers to get the attention of a group of females, which flew off ignoring the hapless male.
Although the male does not assist with the incubation of the two greenish blue eggs with dark brown spots and lines, he will help raise the chicks.
The Olive-backed Sunbird is not at risk, but we can encourage this lovely feathered friend to take up residence in our gardens and parks. It, like other birds, needs food, shelter and places to build its nest.
We can lay out the welcome mat by including flowering plants – hibiscus, palms – including coconuts, and other low bushy plants which will provide shelter from the elements and for nests, in our gardens.
For more information on the Olive-backed Sunbird, or other Bornean birds read the ‘Phillipps’ Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo’ by Quentin Phillipps and Karen Phillipps.
The Malaysian Nature Society
Established in the 1940, the Malaysian Nature Society is the oldest scientific and non-governmental organisation in Malaysia. Our mission is ‘to promote the study, appreciation, conservation and protection of Malaysia’s nature heritage’. Our 5,000-strong membership, spread across 12 branches nationwide, come from all walks of life, bound by a common interest in nature. For further information on membership or our activities in Kuching, call Kwan on 019-8349499. For information on our activities in Miri, call Nazeri Abghani on 085-453185. You can also visit www.mns.org.my or http://[email protected].